IMAGINE you’ve been offered a dream job away from the comforts of home? Imagine you’ve met the ideal partner, moved away, only for things to turn sour?

Imagine packing up your property, saying goodbye to friends and family and moving to an entirely different part of the country – say somewhere like Loughborough? No social group! No family to lean on! No bearings in a world that seems foreign to your own!

This is one of the major problems faced by plenty of single people up and down the country, who move for whatever reasons they feel are essential. For some, work helps them form friendship groups, but finding the same stability is sometimes harder than you would first imagine.

Sean Sunderland, a good friend of mine, is about to embark on that very mission. Having lived in Loughborough for 23 years, he is about to venture into the abyss when he moves to Southampton next weekend.

He said: “It’s scary but at the same exciting. The biggest doubts in my mind are leaving a close friendship group and close family behind.”

While Sean is only 23-year-old and aims to move in with people of a similar age, this is rarely the same situation for those who are over 35.

The thought of house sharing with a bunch of students or singularly stuffing your face with popcorn at the Curzon is hardly an advertising campaign for a single 30-something moving to our area.

One woman, who has really felt the backlash of life in Loughborough, is Ann. She moved with her partner to Loughborough in 1999 and found that there was a lack of activities organised to bring the over 35s together.

She said: “I didn’t know anyone in the area. My family and friends are by the motorway.”

Ann used to work in London – first as a function officer for the a council and then for an organisation running events for the over 35s.

When she moved to Loughborough she always pined for the opportunity to set up her own.

“Rightime-Events is bringing a new concept to the East Midlands, which is designed to take the pressure out of the single social scene by offering busy single and professional people an ideal way to expand their social life without having to organise it themselves.”

So, what will Rightime-Events be able to offer a struggling over 35 year old to allow them to part with a good novel and a Chinese takeway?

Ann explained: “The types of events on offer will be regular club nights, buffet disco evenings, theatre visits, golf trips, canoeing, health spa days and much more. I’m trying to build up a community in the Loughborough area and then expand by no more than a 25 mile radius.”

The company, which only opened two weeks ago, has already received 30 interested participants.

One of Ann’s major concerns is achieving a good mix of male and females. At the moment, the club is primarily female. Judith Stevenson, who is a relationship councillor for Relate in Leicestershire, isn’t surprised it’s attracting that sex.

“Men don’t tend to want to join in as much. They tend to appear less eager to sort out themselves out if there is a problem in their social life.”

However, Judith firmly believes that every place should have a Rightime-Events.

She said: “I’ve dealt with 20 to 30 people with problems after they have re-located. For most, it’s not just the case of moving from one place to the next. It takes a long time to get to know people and they take their previous social network for granted.”

In conclusion, work plays an integral part in our lives. More than likely in the competitive world of work, we will be forced to obtain positions further a field or take on responsibilities, which will put a strain on our social heels.

I think ‘re-location clubs’ should be the way forward, greeting new single residents of towns and cities across Britain with a handshake, a glass of wine and a tour of the town.

Such introductions could well bridge the gap between being a town stranger to becoming a resident. To get in contact with Ann, visit www.rightime-events.co.uk